Surface cover for ice cream boxes



Dec. 1, 1931. R. SINGER SURFACE COVER FOR ICE CREAM BOXES Filed July 17.1929 2/ fie/(1770i? lllllll ATTORNE Patented Dec. 1, H31

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOBE BT SINGER, OI ROCHELLE, NEW YORK smacnoovmz. roa ICE cam :Boxns Application fled July 17,

'" 'more ice cream cans. The wells are usually of a size to accommodatetwo cylindrical cans, placed one directly behind the-other. Electricalor gas refrigeration is employed in the modern type of equipment or therefrigerant may be cracked ice and salt packed about the cans. When thecans are POSI- tioned in the wells, there is an open substantiallytriangular space between the walls of the lining and the can bodies;During the handling of the ice cream in its removal from the cans, thereis a considerable loss of ice.

cream due to the presence of the space between the can bodies and thelining or frame. When ice cream falls on the ice and salt, it

cannot be placed back into the containers and when it falls down to thebottom of the refrigerator between the lining and can bodies,

it becomes waste. It will thus be seen that the handling of cylindricalice cream cans in a rectangular outer refrigerator or box has the aboveobjections and others.

In order to overcome the above objections,

I have devised a novel and improved construction which not only coversand closes the space between the ice cream can rims and the oppositeside walls of the frame or lining but also clamps the rims of thecanstogether so that they cannot move relatively to each other andrelatively to the frame or lining.

4 More specifically my invention relates to a surface cover or plate andrim connecting structure, constructed and arranged to cover the spaceand surface between the top rims a or edges of the cans and the walls ofthe frame or lining including provision for expanding and adjusting thecover or plate.

To enable others skilled in the art to more fully comprehend theunderlying features of my invention, reference is had to the accom-1929. Serial m.'a7a,oso.

panying drawings forming a part of this specification in which Fig.v 1 sa top plan showing the application of my invention, the refrigerator orbox being shown in section and the cover broken awa Flg. 2 is of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the surface cover or closure when removed fromthe cans.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

a section taken on the line 2-2 Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line5-5 of Flg- 3.

Fig. 6 is a corner detail of the bottom adjusting plate.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of 3.

Re erring now to the drawings wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 5 designatesthe side wall and 6, 7, the back and front walls and 7a the cover of aconventional refrigerator or box in which is located a frame or lining8, spaced from the interior thereof. The frame or lining thus produces awell for a plurality of containers and the refrigerant. In the presentinstance, I have shown two containers or ice cream cans 9, 10 within thewell, although it will be understood that anynumber may be used. Eachcontainer or can is usually formed with a reenforced, top rim 11.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, I provide a substantiallytriangular surface plate or cover designated in its entirety by numeral12' which is positioned on the top of two adjacent ice cream canscovering the space between the said cans and the side walls of the frameor lining. The side edge 13 of the surface plate or cover is parallelwith the wall of the frame or lining and the sides 14, 15 are shaped inthe form of the segments of a circle having a diameter slightly smallerthan the diameter of the cans. It will thus be seen that the sides ofthe surface plate or cover lie directly over the top rims of the twoadjacent ice cream cans.

The segmental, curvilinear sidesof the surface plate or cover terminateat the bridge portion 16 of what might be termed the apex of the plate,which however is of suchwidth as to extend across the top rims of theice cream cans at a point substantially tangential to the rims.Referring to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the respective sides of thesurface cover or plate are formed with a dependin flange 17 18 and aninner, substantially -shaped clamp 19, 20 whereby the cover or platemay'directly engage the can rims and retain or hold the'same together.It will of course be understood that the left and right surface coversor platesare identical in construction and consequently it is .onlynecessary to describe one.

base of the cover plate is adjustably con nected thereto, said'extensionplate having a central U-shaped cut out portion 25 and longitudinalslots 26 for the passage of the screws 23 therethrough as shqwn moreclearly by Fig. 7 whereby a proper adjustment may be made. It will alsobe noted that the curvilinear portion 27 of the extension plate takesthe same curvature as the top surface cover or plate and that by movingthe ex-.

tension plate inwardly or outwardly relative to the main surface coverplate, it may be adjusted so as to contact with the wall of the frame orlining to completely cover and close the space between the cans.

From the above construction, it will be seen that the surface cover orplate performs two major functions. -First, it closes the space oropening between the cans and the inner frame or lining, preventing anyof the ice cream from falling into the ice or open space below. It alsolocks or clamps the cans together preventing their relative movement toeach other or to the box or refrigerator. The surface cover or plateproduces a sanitary condition sovthat in the event any ice cream isaccidentally dropped on the plate, it may be returned into the.container.

While I have shown and described my invention .with some degree ofparticularity, it will be realized that other modifications and changesmay be resorted to under special conditions. I therefore do not wish tobe limited and restricted to the exact details shown and described butreserve the right to make such changes and modifications as may fairlyfall within the scope of the subject matter now being claimed.

Havin shown and described my invention, what I c aim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1. A surface cover of the class describedcomprising a plate which is flat and smooth on the top and shaped toextend between two circular ice cream cans, and means for fastening saidplate to said cans.

2. A surface cover of the class described comprising a plate which isfiat and smooth on the top and of such shape as to extend between .twocircular ice cream cans, and means at the bottom of said plate forconnecting the same to said cans.

3. A surface cover of the class described neath the plate for engagingthe rims of said cans.

5. A surface cover of the class described comprising a substantiallytriangular plate having means for engaging the runs of two adjacent icecream cans and an extension plate adjustably connected to the base ofsaid triangular plate.

' 6. A surface cover of the class described comprising a substantiallytriangular 'plate which has on two of its'three sides clamping means forengaging the top rims of two adjacent ice cream cans and an extensionplate attached to said triangular plate along the base thereof andadjustable substantially in parallelism with the third side of saidtriangular plate.

7. A surface cover of the class described comprising a substantiallytriangular plate, the sides of said plate being curved to conform to thecurvature of the rims of two adjacent ice cream cans, clamping means'along the side edges of the plate for engaging the rims of said cansand an adjusting plate attached to the base of said triangular plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT SINGER.

